Competition Alert

Brett Hallam’s objective is to find a green solution for sustainable electricity, especially in developing countries, by using photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation. With his innovative approach, he strives to revolutionise the energy sector and provide humankind with green alternatives.

UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA

Research focus: advanced hydrogenation for silicon solar cells

Climate change is one of the world’s main challenges. In order to supply the two billion people in developing countries lacking access to electricity, a sustainable source of generating power is needed. In his research, Hallam aims to find a global solution for green electricity by using photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation as key technology.

Hallam’s research focuses on defect engineering methods to avoid the detrimental effects caused by defects in silicon solar cells, to boost solar cell performance and reduce cost, while also lowering greenhouse gas emissions and improving the utilisation of resources used for solar cell fabrication. His scientific approach is meant to neutralise defects in silicon solar cells using atomic hydrogen and to gain insight into the physics and chemistry involved. His overall objective is to develop affordable PV that can be part of a cheap and green global solution to replace the use of fossil fuels.

With an academic background in physics, oceanography and PV engineering, Hallam completed his PhD at the University of New South Wales in Australia focusing on high efficiency laser-doped silicon solar cells with advanced hydrogenation. For his professional work, he is a postdoctoral fellow at UNSW supported by the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP) and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). He is also the research director of ARENA Crystalline Silicon PV Projects at UNSW. In 2015, he was a finalist in the Junior Einstein Award from SolarWorld Innovations GmbH in Germany. Throughout his academic career, he has published numerous scientific articles and patented multiple technologies.

The jury especially valued Hallam’s personal and professional contribution towards an energy revolution evidenced in his high number of publications on this topic. The jury sensed his deep commitment to finding a global solution for clean electricity and efforts to reduce the potential impacts by climate change. The Scientific Forum will help him to gain more expertise and to be inspired by other researchers in his field.

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Brett Hallam is a postdoctoral fellow in Photovoltaic Engineering at University of New South Wales in Australia and his objective ist to find a green solution for sustaibnable electricity. He received the Green Talents award in 2016 and conducted his three months research stay under the supervision of Dr Markus Glatthaar at the Institute for High-Efficiency Silicon Solar Cells and Novel Processes at Fraunhofer ISE in Freiburg.
more: My Research Stay: Report by Brett Hallam.

Dr Brett Hallam, from the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, won the award for Energy Innovation in New South Wales. His research is resulting in a significant increase in electrical output of solar panels which will lead to cheaper photovoltaic generated electricity. His focus is on developing techniques for manipulating the charge state of atomic hydrogen in silicon to neutralise performance-limiting defects in solar cells. more: Brett Hallam won a prestigious NSW Premier's Prize for Science and Engineering.